2BeLikeChrist Bible Commentary - Luke Chapter 18
Commentary - Luke Chapter 18
Luke 18:1-5
Luk 18:1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.
Luk 18:2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man.
Luk 18:3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’
Luk 18:4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man,
Luk 18:5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’”
Chapter 18 begins with two teaching stories.
1. The story of the unjust judge and the persistent widow.
2. The story of the Pharisee’s prayer vs. the tax collector’s prayer.
In the first story, Jesus told His disciples about a judge who didn’t have any respect for God or men.
He didn’t care about doing the right thing.
He only cared about himself.
In the judge’s jurisdiction, there was a widow woman.
She had been wronged by someone.
She visited the judge often to ask him to uphold the law and give her justice.
The judge didn’t care about the widow’s plight.
For some reason, giving the woman justice wasn’t on his agenda.
He didn’t want to be bothered with her case.
Maybe it was too much paperwork.
He kept putting her off and delaying the justice she deserved.
But the widow was persistent and kept coming back to plead with the judge.
Eventually the judge agreed to grant her request.
Why?
Did compassion stir within him?
No.
He didn’t care about the lady.
Did he feel a sense of duty to uphold the law?
No.
He admitted to himself that he felt no sense of duty either to God or to his fellow man.
The reason he granted the widows request was entirely selfish.
He said, “Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice…”
He was annoyed with her persistence.
In order to save himself the trouble of turning the woman away in the future, he gave her justice so she wouldn’t come back.
Verse 1 informs us Jesus told this parable to teach His disciples to “pray and not lose heart.”
This parable can seem like a really strange way to teach that point.
Was Jesus telling the disciples to annoy God until He gave them what they wanted?
Luke 18:6-8
Luk 18:6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says.
Luk 18:7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?
Luk 18:8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
No, Jesus was not comparing the character of the unjust judge to the character of God.
He wasn’t suggesting that God only answers prayers when He gets annoyed with hearing them.
So, what was He teaching the disciples?
In the story, the widow, through her persistence, received justice.
Her justice was delayed because of the judge’s indifference.
But even though she was dealing with a selfish person, she was eventually able to get what she needed.
Notice the contrast made in verse 7-8.
God will give justice “speedily.”
Why?
Because unlike the unjust judge, He loves His disciples and cares about their concerns.
The General Principle: “If you can compel a selfish person to grant your request, even if its for selfish motives, how much more can you trust God to handle your requests knowing He loves and supports you?”
Jesus wanted the disciples to know their prayers were heard and were being addressed by someone who cared about them, by a just Judge.
There was no reason to lose heart, because whether they could see it or not, God was working to give justice to His elect (disciples).
“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (verse 8).
There should be no doubt in our mind that God will judge everything and everyone justly. He is the just Judge.
There should be no doubt in our mind that God hears and answers our prayers.
Jesus assured His disciples of these two truths, and offered them as reasons why they shouldn’t lose heart.
The question isn’t whether God will be faithful to those promises, but whether Jesus will find any faithful disciples when He returns.
The disciples didn’t need to be concerned about God’s faithfulness, but they did need to give thought to their own faithfulness.
They needed to make sure they were the watchful and prepared disciples talked about in chapter 17.
Luke 18:9-14
Luk 18:9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:
Luk 18:10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
Luk 18:11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
Luk 18:12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’
Luk 18:13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
Luk 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
This parable was directed specifically towards self-righteous people who looked down on others for not being as “virtuous” as themselves (i.e. the Pharisees and scribes, Luke 15:2).
Two men were in the Temple praying, but the substance of their prayers was very different.
1. The Pharisee:
The Pharisee thanked God he wasn’t “like other men.”
Other men had problems:
They were extortioners.
They were unjust.
They were adulterers.
Looking around him, the Pharisee even thanked God that he wasn’t like “this tax collector.”
The Pharisee continued, reminding God of his virtue.
“I fast twice a week.”
“I give tithes of all that I get.”
He really thought a lot of himself.
Although he “thanked God” for his “righteousness, it’s clear the Pharisee really believed he deserved the credit.
The prayer of thanks was just for show.
2. The Tax Collector:
The tax collector’s prayer revealed he wasn’t concerned with the sins of other men; he was concerned with his own sins.
He knew he wasn’t righteous, and he knew he needed God’s mercy.
He didn’t think very much of himself.
His repentance was genuine.
Jesus told His self-righteous listeners that, of the two, God was pleased with the tax collector.
Both men were sinners.
The difference was, the tax collector recognized his sins and went to God for grace, while the Pharisee ignored his sins and boasted about his strengths.
Question: Why did Jesus come to earth?
Why was Jesus there in their cities?
Was it because men can get to heaven on their own if they’re righteous enough?
No!
Jesus went to earth to die on the cross because it was the only way for anyone to be saved.
If God hadn’t extended the grace of Jesus’ sacrifice to men, everyone would be headed for Hell.
Nobody is righteous on their own.
Rom 3:10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;
Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
One of the key lessons of the New Testament, especially the first few chapters of the book of Romans, is that everyone needs a Savior.
There aren’t any righteous people because everybody has broken God’s law at some point.
The difference between a disciple of Jesus and a non-disciple is the recognition of the need for a Savior.
Christians aren’t special, they aren’t sinless people, what unites a Christian community is everyone’s confession that they need God’s grace to be saved from their sins.
Genuine Christians shouldn’t ever have a superiority complex (that would be an oxymoron).
A genuine Christian is a person who has humbled himself/herself to acknowledge their failings and has come to Christ to make things right.
When you understand why Jesus had to come to earth, you’ll understand the problem with the self-righteous attitude of the Pharisee in the parable.
He wasn’t grasping the point of Jesus’ arrival.
He thought he was just fine on his own.
He didn’t think he needed a Savior.
But that was because he was blind to his own sins.
APPLICATION:
The attitude of the Pharisee is very common among religious people and non-religious people.
Many religious people, in their pride, think they will make it to heaven because they are good at keeping God’s commands.
Some who have this attitude look down on other disciples who struggle to keep God’s instructions.
Many non-religious people also share the attitude of the Pharisee.
When a person sees no need for Jesus in their life, what are they saying?
They are saying, “I can make it on my own. I’ll be just fine by myself. I’m a good enough person.”
That is a form of self-righteousness.
It’s the equivalent of saying, “I didn’t really need Jesus to come here and die for me.”
The Pharisee in Jesus’ story would have been wise to learn from the humility of the tax collector.
People who are too proud to acknowledge their need for Jesus will eventually be humbled by God.
People who are humble enough to acknowledge their need for Jesus will eventually be exalted by God.
Luke 18:15-17
Luk 18:15 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
Luk 18:16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.
Luk 18:17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
In the Old Testament we have examples of blessings being given while the blesser laid his hands on the blessed.
Gen 48:14
Deut 34:9
The people respected Jesus and recognized He possessed the power of God, so they brought their children to Him so He would touch them and give them a spiritual benefit/blessing.
Contrary to the thought of His disciples, Jesus welcomed the presence of the children.
It's not uncommon for people to believe children are a nuisance to important individuals.
Many believe important people shouldn't be bothered with children’s nonsense because their time is too valuable to be wasted.
But here, Jesus taught His disciples they had a lot to learn from children, and what children offer to adults is far from nonsense.
In fact, contained in their innocence and “childish ways” are many characteristics of those who belong to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Children are teachable.
They humbly accept the care of their father.
They are without pride.
They aren’t prejudice.
If we think our time is too valuable to be given to children, we have an overestimation of the value of our time and think more of ourselves than we are actually worth.
I like the detail Mark’s gospel adds.
Mar 10:16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
Mark shows us a gentle Savior.
In a way, Jesus was the father of all of those children.
He created them.
He knew each of them and wanted the best for each of them.
Luke 18:18-19
Luk 18:18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Luk 18:19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
A young man approached Jesus with a question, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
A modern paraphrase might be, “What do I need to do to go to heaven?”
Or, “What must I do to be saved?”
Jesus didn’t immediately respond to the man’s question but highlighted the man’s word choice.
“Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”
Matthew’s gospel records, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good.”
There is only one being with the authority to speak definitively about what is good and evil, God.
But notice, Jesus didn’t tell the man he had come to the wrong place.
In fact, He went on to answer the man’s question!
Why did Jesus start the conversation this way?
He was making it clear that only God had authority to speak on the things He was about to speak on.
So, by going on to answer the man’s question (as we will see in the upcoming verses), Jesus was claiming to be God and to speak with the authority of God.
Example:
Let me try to illustrate (hopefully this is helpful).
Let’s say you approach me with a question…
You: “How do you send a rocket to the moon?”
Me: “It would take an expert physicist to answer that question!”
Me: Proceeds to explain how a rocket is sent to the moon.
I would be implying I am an expert physicist.
Jesus was implying He was God.
He had authority to speak about those matters.
He was making a claim of deity.
Luke 18:20-23
Luk 18:20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’”
Luk 18:21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.”
Luk 18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
Luk 18:23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.
Returning to the man’s question, Jesus provided him with a list of commands from the Old Testament.
Do not commit adultery.
Do not murder.
Do not steal.
Do not bear false witness.
Honor your father and mother.
The man told Jesus he had been obedient to all of those commands since his youth.
Jesus replied by telling him there was one additional thing he needed to do in order to have eternal life. He was to sell all of his possessions, give them to the poor, and follow Jesus.
Sadly, the young man was not willing to do this, and he went away sorrowfully.
Verse 23 tells us he was “extremely rich.”
Why did Jesus require the rich man to sell all of his possessions and follow him?
It isn’t a blanket rule that all Christians have to sell all their stuff and give it to the poor.
So why did Jesus ask him to do it?
Because Jesus knew this man’s heart was tied up with his possessions.
He needed to value the Kingdom of Heaven supremely, if he wanted to be a disciple.
Yes, this man kept the commandments…
Yes, he had given himself to God in many ways…
But Jesus, with pinpoint accuracy identified the condition of his heart.
As we’ve mentioned in other texts, Jesus wasn’t only concerned with external compliance, He wanted the hearts of His disciples.
This man’s treasure was laid up on earth (Matt 6:19-21).
Jesus told him, if he would have treasure in heaven, he needed to purge his life of the object of his greatest affection (riches), and make God his heart’s desire.
He needed to get rid of the thing that was competing with God for his devotion.
For this man, this may have been the equivalent of plucking out an eye or cutting off a hand (Matthew 5:29-30).
He was not willing to make the sacrifice.
Mar 10:22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
APPLICATION:
This story is also recorded in Mark chapter 10.
Take a look at verse 21.
Mark 10:21 “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing.”
Helping someone better themselves by pointing out one of their weaknesses, if done correctly, can be an act of love.
It isn’t popular today to tell someone there is something wrong with the way they are living. In fact, it may be the greatest (and only) cultural “sin!”
But the scriptures show us that the most unloving thing you can do is to withhold the truth that might save someone’s soul.
If Jesus had been a modern day liberal, He would have patted the man on the back and told Him He approved of His lifestyle and watched the man go to hell!
Don’t be unloving, be like Jesus!
Be brave enough, and kind enough, and loving enough to show someone where they are coming up short, AND be thankful and humble enough to examine your own life, when a loving friend comes to you about one of your shortcomings.
APPLICATION:
It’s likely, everyone around this man thought he was a godly man.
He may have also believed he was a godly man (he seemed honest).
But even though he and others thought he was on the right track, he still came to Jesus and asked what else he needed to do.
When he did, Christ revealed an area for improvement he had never recognized before.
We need to ask God the same question.
We may appear to others to be on the right track.
We may believe we are on the right track.
But we need to go to God and ask Him to reveal to us what we aren’t seeing.
I suspect we all have blind spots.
Things that we miss because of our upbringing, or because of the way we were taught to study the Bible, or because of the examples present in our lives.
We need to go to God in full submission, and ask him to reveal our blind spots to us, so we can correct them.
And, unlike this man, we need to have a heart willing to be shaped in any direction, to be what God desires.
APPLICATION:
Conviction isn’t all that is required!
This man seemed convicted by Jesus’ words (hence his sorrow).
I think there are many people who attend worship, or study their Bible, and they walk away convicted.
But often, that conviction wears off after a while, without us making any actual changes in our lives.
It’s easy to feel “spiritual” when we’ve been convicted, however, we are not practicing godliness, unless there is a transformation following the conviction.
Luke 18:24-25
Luk 18:24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!
Luk 18:25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
This statement is very important to spend some time thinking about.
Jesus didn’t try to sugar coat the fact that riches and the pursuit of riches are a powerful lure that lead many people away from the Kingdom of Heaven.
Billions of people throughout time have devoted themselves to accumulating stuff.
Physical possessions promise satisfaction and joy, but the promise is always empty.
Yet, how many people have failed to learn the lesson taught by past generations, that chasing money will not make them happy?
Not only will it not make them happy, it has no ability to save their souls.
Mar 8:36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
Jesus said it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God’s Kingdom.
That’s hard! And we should take that warning very seriously!
I’m not sure many of us do.
1Ti 6:9-10 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
APPLICATION:
It isn’t uncommon to hear people in America say, “We are so blessed to live in a prosperous nation.”
Certainly, that is true!
We have an opportunity to use our prosperity to build the Kingdom.
To fund works around the world for the glory of God.
But, for some in wealthy nations, their riches are a curse.
Their riches give them a false sense of self-sufficiency.
They fall in love with the fun their riches afford them and forget their real purpose on the earth.
Jesus’ words make us rethink the term “blessed.”
With eternity in mind, is it better to be born in a rich nation or in a poor nation?
Those entrusted with riches by the providence of God have been given a dangerous responsibility.
They have the opportunity and financial ability to do great work for the Lord.
But they must navigate through the eye of the needle while surrounded by enticements to misuse what has been trusted to them.
Luke 18:26-27
Luk 18:26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”
Luk 18:27 But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
The door to the Kingdom of God was indeed narrow, as Jesus said in Luke 13:24.
His audience expressed their surprise at just how narrow it was.
Most people think about riches as a sign of God’s blessing.
A person who is rich must be pleasing God, right?
Not necessarily according to Jesus.
Jesus assured them that, though it seemed impossible to them, God could transform a man’s affections.
In order to escape the empty promises of the world, a man must be presented with something greater on which to fix his eyes and heart.
God is the only One capable of presenting greater promises.
Only He can work in men’s hearts to free them from a suicidal obsession with wealth.
Luke 18:28-30
Luk 18:28 And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.”
Luk 18:29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,
Luk 18:30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Peter’s statement sounds to me like he was patting himself on the back.
But Jesus didn’t express any disapproval.
Instead, He commended Peter and the other Apostle’s decision to follow Him.
The Apostles didn’t always get everything right (especially Peter lol) but they had given their hearts to God.
They had made big sacrifices to follow Christ.
Jesus told them anyone who sacrificed worldly attachments to be His disciple would receive a reward “many times” greater than the sacrifice.
Rewards “in this time” (on earth).
Rewards in “the age to come” (eternity).
Keep in mind, a “reward” can come in many forms. It is not always monetary.
2Cor 4:17 – For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
Luke 18:31-34
Luk 18:31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.
Luk 18:32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon.
Luk 18:33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.”
Luk 18:34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem where He would be crucified.
He knew exactly what He was walking into and shared some of that information with the 12 Apostles.
He told them His trip to Jerusalem was to fulfill the writings of God’s prophets through the ages.
In the city, He would be turned over to Gentile courts, mocked, treated shamefully, spit on, flogged, and then killed.
But He would rise from the dead on the “third day.”
This prophecy was very straight-forward.
There was nothing cryptic about it.
However, verse 34 tells us the Apostles didn’t understand what Jesus was trying to tell them.
“This saying was hidden from them.”
Did Jesus or God hide it from them?
I think it is possible, but I suspect the meaning was hidden because of their mindset.
Like most Jews, the Apostles probably had a lot of preconceived ideas about the Messiah and the Kingdom of God.
In Matthew 16:22, Peter made it pretty clear he wasn’t ok with the idea of Jesus being killed.
Mat 16:22 And Peter took him [Jesus] aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”
When a person has preconceived ideas cemented in their mind, it can be difficult for the truth to penetrate, even when communicated clearly.
The Apostle’s preconceived ideas were keeping them from understanding what was about to happen.
Take a moment here to admire Jesus.
If I knew that Jesus’ fate awaited me upon my entrance into a city, I would be running in the opposite direction.
But we see Jesus leading His followers into danger.
Jesus predicted His own death.
He knew where and when it was going to happen.
He willingly permitted Himself to be killed to accomplish His role as the world’s sacrifice for sin.
In the Old Testament, people dragged unwilling sheep to the altar as a sacrifice for their sins.
But no one could have dragged Jesus to the cross, thank God the Lamb of God walked to the altar willingly.
Luke 18:35-43
Luk 18:35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.
Luk 18:36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant.
Luk 18:37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
Luk 18:38 And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Luk 18:39 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Luk 18:40 And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him,
Luk 18:41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.”
Luk 18:42 And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.”
Luk 18:43 And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
When Jesus was departing Jericho and turning west to Jerusalem, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar heard He was walking by.
Not being able to locate Jesus with his eyes, he started yelling for Him, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Many standing around Bartimaeus rebuked him and told him to be quiet.
But Bartimaeus kept yelling until he got Jesus’ attention.
Jesus asked him what He wanted Him to do for him, and Bartimaeus responded, “Lord, let me recover my sight.”
Jesus commended his faith and healed him.
APPLICATION:
Take a second to observe the parallels between this man and ourselves.
This man was trapped in darkness.
We are trapped in the darkness of sin.
This man was willing to do anything to get to Jesus (even when others disapproved).
We should be willing to do anything to get to Jesus (even when others disapprove).
Jesus was this man’s only hope to see.
Jesus is our only hope to escape eternal darkness.
APPLICATION:
We should be careful not to suppress the zeal of those excited about Christ, like the crowd around Bartimaeus.
